‘RHOA’ Alum Nene Leakes Speaks With Civil Rights Attorney on Instagram Live About Unfair Treatment of Black Talent at Bravo
Nene Leakes has no intention of quieting down over the unfair treatment she says Bravo is notorious for in the way they handle Black talent. The former RHOA star accuses Bravo executives of discrimination in terms of pay and spinoff opportunities. In addition to calling fans to boycott the network, she recently spoke with civil rights attorney Ben Crump on Instagram live to elaborate on her claims.
Nene Leakes calls for a boycott of Bravo
Amid months of negotiations and rumors that Bravo was firing Leakes from RHOA, Leakes took to YouTube to confirm that she would not be returning for season 13.
An emotional Leakes later appeared on The Tamron Hall Show and claimed that she and the network could not come to an agreement. Per Leakes, the network began phasing her out of the series. She also says the network offered her less money in a “friend to the show” role.
Related: Wendy Williams Reacts To Nene Leakes Leaving ‘RHOA’: ‘It’s a Money Thing’
Leakes recently took to Twitter asking fans to boycott the network. She accuses the network of using Black women to build the network’s franchises only to turn around and stifle them in salary and advancement.
“While others were being promoted, BLACK WOMEN who created shows, created genres, built franchise, and built networks were being DEMOTED…TURN OFF YOUR TV’S,” she wrote.
Nene Leakes speaks with civil rights attorney Ben Crump and slams Bravo for treating Black talent different from their white counterparts
On Dec. 21, Leakes spoke with Crump on Instagram live to elaborate on her experience working for Bravo since the premiere of RHOA in 2008. She doubles down on her claims and says Bravo has a history of demoting OG Housewives.
“I was being given less and less and these girls were given more and more episodes. Original housewives across the board, other places they were getting full seasons and I was getting less episodes every season,” she said.”
Leakes has been open about feeling that her white counterparts, such as Kim Zolziac, have free range to behave how they choose while still given spinoff opportunities. Zolciak left the show midway through season 5 and is the only alum of RHOA to have a spinoff spanning multiple seasons on the network.
Related: ‘RHOA’: Andy Cohen Breaks Silence After Nene Leakes Announces She’s Leaving The Show
“The last few seasons it’s just been Black on this set, when my white counterpart was on my particular set, they come and go when they want to, they cuss out people,” she said. “When WE cuss out somebody we’re an angry black woman! You say one cuss word, you are angry, bitter, you are horrible!”
Nene Leakes names other Bravo talent who have grievances with the network
Leakes notes that Married to Medicine‘s Mariah Huqq has also been unfairly treated. She alleges that Huqq did not give up her rights to the show nor has she been properly compensated.
According to Leakes, other Bravo stars are afraid to speak out. Some believe Leakes will take legal action against Bravo. Leakes simply stated to Crump that she wants to “have a conversation” with the network.
She then shared a link to an online petition calling out executives and asking viewers to hold them accountable for “their dirty deeds, particularly as it relates to the unfair and biased treatment they have displayed toward their African American talent.”
